Hunger in India is not a scarcity problem. It is a design problem.

We waste 68 million tonnes of food every year. 19 crore people remain undernourished — not because the food doesn't exist, but because the systems meant to move it between surplus and need were never built with dignity in mind.

The Public Foundation was founded in 2017 by Dr. Issa Fathima Jasmine to change that — starting with one fridge, on one street corner, in Chennai.

We started with one fridge on a street corner in Chennai. Just a fridge, open to all, anonymous by design — anyone could leave food, anyone could take it, no registration, no queue, no moment of visible need.

Eight years later: 21 lakh meals. ₹10,5 crores in food rescued from waste. 87 tonnes of clothing redistributed. Emergency relief across three states. 29+ national awards. Three cities. One model that works because it was designed to — not because it depends on goodwill.

We operate community fridges, clothing counters, grocery support, and emergency response across Chennai, Vellore, and Bangalore.

If your organisation works in food security, community welfare, or CSR — this is the partnership worth making.

info@thepublicfoundation.org


The Public Foundation

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The Public Foundation

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